Current Projects

Private Security Contractors or Mercenaries on the Kill

Who is doing what? Following is a list of several private contracting firms that are assisting the American Defense department in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and places such as Tajikistan, Doha, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait: Fluor Corp, Blackwater, DynCorp, ArmorGroup North America, Xe (Blackwater), KBR Inc., Wackenhunt Services, NCL Holdings, Watan Risk (Afghan security and trucking firm handling the security of US/NATO cargo), CH2M Hill and Taos Industries (a subsidiary of Agility Defense & Government Services). While private contractors have eased the burden off the US military finances and personnel, they have also kicked off controversies ranging from financial fraud to human rights abuses to abuses of authority under CIA cover. The ever-increasing reliance on private contractors has also prompted a shift in the defense industry, sending more money to logistics and construction companies that can perform everything from basic functions to project engineering. Pentagon out-sourcing in fact has created an industry that nurtures a 'legitimate business interest' in conflict. It thrives off combat and counter-insurgency. A recent contract worth up to US$15 billion, for instance, went to two firms, DynCorp International Inc. and Fluor Corp., to build and support US military bases throughout Afghanistan. A lot of allegations of graft and misappropriation accompany these business ventures. Making illegal money with people blood: On December 17, for instance, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) asked a panel of witnesses from the State Department, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Defense Department, about who was responsible for putting out this money (for Pentagon contracts); the assembled group of witnesses could not give her a total. 'Pentagon auditors had examined US$ 5.9 billion worth of contracts and found about US$ 950 million in questioned and unsupported costs,' she said. 'Because auditors have only looked at a fraction of contracts, the...

Where is the Civilian Political Leadership in the New Swat?

Militancy has devastated Swat: Swat was a paradise on earth before the conflict started in the valley. People would flock to this paradise, especially in the summers. Besides the remains of Ghandara civilization, Swat is blessed with natural beauty in abundance. It used to be a tourists’ heaven before 2006 but after that it became, or was made by design, a safe haven for terrorists and their apologists. The worst conflict in the history of Pakistan happened here which has left 1.7 million Swatis in a dismal situation, and their image around the world is of terrorists and extremists. Militancy and counter-militancy affected the valley in every sphere of life but perhaps the worst damage done, among many, was to its tourism. According to an estimate, the tourism industry was afflicted with a loss of over Rs8 billion in the last three years. During these cruel years various tourist resorts namely Kalam, Bahrain, Miyadam, Madyan, Fiza Gat, Malam Jabba and Murghzar were deserted, gloomy and lonely. Pakistani nation’s response against fear: After a year of military offences in Swat, Operation Raah-e-Raast, Swatis hoped for a better and bright summer in 2010. Spring came and passed by unnoticed. No tourist ventured to Swat. In the beginning this summer was no different than the previous ones. The military announced its victory over the militants many times but it seemed the Pakistanis had ceased to believe in such claims. The military also declared to have encouraged the tourists to visit their once cherished destination, however the people of Swat were a bit non-complacent, amidst the scores of check posts scattered in the valley and the frequent target killings. But as the summer approached cities, tourists were seen in the valley especially in Bahrain and Kalam. In Bahrain a remarkable number of paying-guests have rented homes for two or three months. A similar rise in tourism is visible in Madyan too and a number of tourists from Punjab are seen visiting...

McChrystal’s Dismissal and Lessons for the US Strategists

Shock and awe for the Pentagon: Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal exit shocked almost everybody, particularly those within the Pentagon and the mighty defense establishment who still advocate and believe in the military surge. Yet, his ignominious departure was not unexpected. The Rolling Stone magazine profile only precipitated the ouster of a person who faced severe challenges to his position following the setback to the hyped-up Marja offensive. The IPS News had already forecast 'the specter of a collapse of U.S. political support,' and 'massive failure' on June 13, quoting various sources. McChrystal: a general in the field or a workman quarrelling with his tools? Picking up on McChrystal announcement on the delay until September of the military operation in Kandahar (in the context of failure in Marja), the IPS said this decision meant a serious blow to the general earlier chest-thumping statements. McChrystal and his staff hadtouted the Kandahar operation as the 'pivotal campaign of the war,' that would begin in June. But it is now clear that McChrystal had realized for weeks that the most basic premise of the operation turned out to be false. 'Equally damaging to the credibility of McChrystal's strategy was the Washington Post report published Thursday documenting in depth the failure of February's offensive in Marja.' the IPS report said, addingthat events since the launch of Marja operation in February had made abundantly clear that that the US-led coalition forces lacked the Afghan population support in what is known as the Taliban heartland. "When you go to protect people, the people have to want you to protect them," said McChrystal, told a NATO conference in London 11 days before his ouster, underlining the difficulties his mission could face in Kandahar. Marja operation ´ Failure, failure, failure: The Washington Post story had spoken of "U.S. officials complaints' that 'the support from Kandaharis that the United States was counting on (Afghan President...

McChrystal's Dismissal and Lessons for the US Strategists

Shock and awe for the Pentagon: Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal exit shocked almost everybody, particularly those within the Pentagon and the mighty defense establishment who still advocate and believe in the military surge. Yet, his ignominious departure was not unexpected. The Rolling Stone magazine profile only precipitated the ouster of a person who faced severe challenges to his position following the setback to the hyped-up Marja offensive. The IPS News had already forecast 'the specter of a collapse of U.S. political support,' and 'massive failure' on June 13, quoting various sources. McChrystal: a general in the field or a workman quarrelling with his tools? Picking up on McChrystal announcement on the delay until September of the military operation in Kandahar (in the context of failure in Marja), the IPS said this decision meant a serious blow to the general earlier chest-thumping statements. McChrystal and his staff hadtouted the Kandahar operation as the 'pivotal campaign of the war,' that would begin in June. But it is now clear that McChrystal had realized for weeks that the most basic premise of the operation turned out to be false. 'Equally damaging to the credibility of McChrystal's strategy was the Washington Post report published Thursday documenting in depth the failure of February's offensive in Marja.' the IPS report said, addingthat events since the launch of Marja operation in February had made abundantly clear that that the US-led coalition forces lacked the Afghan population support in what is known as the Taliban heartland. "When you go to protect people, the people have to want you to protect them," said McChrystal, told a NATO conference in London 11 days before his ouster, underlining the difficulties his mission could face in Kandahar. Marja operation ´ Failure, failure, failure: The Washington Post story had spoken of "U.S. officials complaints' that 'the support from Kandaharis that the United States was counting on (Afghan President...

McChrystal's Dismissal and Lessons for the US Strategists

Shock and awe for the Pentagon: Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal exit shocked almost everybody, particularly those within the Pentagon and the mighty defense establishment who still advocate and believe in the military surge. Yet, his ignominious departure was not unexpected. The Rolling Stone magazine profile only precipitated the ouster of a person who faced severe challenges to his position following the setback to the hyped-up Marja offensive. The IPS News had already forecast 'the specter of a collapse of U.S. political support,' and 'massive failure' on June 13, quoting various sources. McChrystal: a general in the field or a workman quarrelling with his tools? Picking up on McChrystal announcement on the delay until September of the military operation in Kandahar (in the context of failure in Marja), the IPS said this decision meant a serious blow to the general earlier chest-thumping statements. McChrystal and his staff hadtouted the Kandahar operation as the 'pivotal campaign of the war,' that would begin in June. But it is now clear that McChrystal had realized for weeks that the most basic premise of the operation turned out to be false. 'Equally damaging to the credibility of McChrystal's strategy was the Washington Post report published Thursday documenting in depth the failure of February's offensive in Marja.' the IPS report said, addingthat events since the launch of Marja operation in February had made abundantly clear that that the US-led coalition forces lacked the Afghan population support in what is known as the Taliban heartland. "When you go to protect people, the people have to want you to protect them," said McChrystal, told a NATO conference in London 11 days before his ouster, underlining the difficulties his mission could face in Kandahar. Marja operation ´ Failure, failure, failure: The Washington Post story had spoken of "U.S. officials complaints' that 'the support from Kandaharis that the United States was counting on (Afghan President...

The Real Enemy in Afghan War?

US setting objective before planning: The raging American desire of demonstrable achievements, if not victory, in Afghanistan clearly seems beset by two factors: Rush for results; and Lack of clarity on who is the real enemy. Think tankers and officials alike continue churning out security assessments and scenarios for Afghanistan. One after the other, almost every study and advice therein seems intended for what key Obama aides would like to hear; how to create conditions that would allow the US to begin a gradual draw-down of forces’ from July 2011. Underlying these recipes for how to extricate the USA out of the Afghan quagmire is a sense of panic within the administration which looks desperate to show-case some “stunning success” towards the end of the year before the mid-term Congressional elections get underway. Things gone awry in Operation Enduring Freedom: Special Envoy Richard Holbrook’s latest Islamabad visit, to be followed up by secretary of state Hilary Clinton next month, also underscore that panic in an extremely volatile situation; the official American casualty toll has just touched 1108, and a UN report released over the weekend points to “ alarming increases in suicide bombings and a 45 percent increase in assassinations of government officials in a three-month period ending June 16, and almost doubling of roadside bombings for the first four months of 2010. Deadly suicide bombings, according to the UN, tripled this year compared with 2009, with “such attacks now taking place an average of three times a week compared with once a week before,” with almost half the suicide attacks taking place in southern Afghanistan. “The shift to more complex suicide attacks demonstrates a growing capability of the local terrorist networks linked to Al Qaeda,” the report said. This also underlines that the insurgents’ reaction to an ever-increasing...

Emerging Networks of Terrorists in Pakistan

Dynamic of militancy has changed: It's not just about Waziristan anymore. How the country's various militias are joining forces - and what it could mean for attacks within the United States. On May 28, several mercenaries invaded two mosques of the Ahmadi community in Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, and ended up mowing down nearly 100 worshippers. Ahmadis are members of a breakaway sect that was officially declared to be non-Muslim in 1974 under the 'progressive' rule of Pakistan People Party with Chairman Bhutto as the Prime Minister. The killing was one of the boldest and deadliest in a year of bold and deadly attacks in Pakistan. And it pointed to a frightening development in Pakistani terrorism. The militants had a typical profile for jihadists in Pakistan, having trained in North Waziristan in camps connected to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). But it also seems likely that they were connected to local Punjabi terrorist groups. In a sign of Pakistan's increasing chaos, the groups that were formerly barricaded in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the Afghanistan border are now joining forces with groups around the country -- and the result is a networked terrorism outfit with an ever-growing capacity to produce pain and mayhem. Same old suspects but with new tactics: At the center of the current frenzy are Sunni outfits such as the Punjab-based Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, and the Kashmir-focused Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. These groups were born out of the vicious proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran that began in the immediate aftermath of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Concerned that Iran's revolutionary message would inspire Shiites and weaken Sunni dominance, the Saudis, whose Wahhabi brand of Islam is virulently anti-Shiite, funded and equipped Sunni militias in Punjab tasked with intimidating and eliminating prominent Pakistani Shiites. These terrorist outfits are essentially the byproduct of decade...

Pakistan: Violence in the name of Religion

Attack on Ahmadis ´ a reminder of the religious violence in Pakistan: On May 28th, terrorists attached two Ahmadi community mosques in Lahore, Pakistan second largest city, and ended up mowing down nearly a 100 Ahmedis, members of a sect that was officially declared to be non-Muslim in the mid 1970s. Religious leaders in Pakistan accuse Ahmadis of defying Islam basic tenet that Muhammad is the final prophet. Ahmadis argue that their leader was the savior rather than a prophet. While this endless debate continues inside Pakistan, it took an ugly turn on May 28th that shook up the whole nation. The gun battle, which lasted several hours, reminded the people of Lahore of similar attacks in 2009 on the visiting Sri Lankan Cricket team and a police training school in Munawan. It also revived memories around the country of frequent assaults on the minority Shia sect, reported to be between 15-20 percent of the population. For years, Shia Muslims have borne the brunt of suicide bombings and targeted killings at the hands of radical Sunni groups with links to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabian, Iraq, Sudan and Somalia. Roots and actors of the violence: At the centre of the current frenzy are Sunni outfits such as Lashkare Jhangvi, Sipahe Sahaba Pakistan, Jaishe Mohammad, and Lashkare Taiba. They simply outnumber the ranks of the Shia militant groups - Tehrike Jafria Pakistan and Siphahe Mohammad. Additionally these groups serve as a cover for organized crime and have been found involved in many bank robberies across the country. These groups have been battling each other for decades, as foot soldiers in the vicious proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran that began in the immediate aftermath of the Iranian revolution in January 1979. Concerned that Iran revolutionary message would inspire Shias and weaken Sunni dominance, the Saudis, whose Wahabi brand of Islam is virulently anti-Shia, funded and equipped Sunni militias tasked with intimidating and eliminating prominent Shias. The...

Pakistani Government’s Incompetent Financial Planning FY 2009-10

Pakistani government has a history of misrepresenting the economic facts: Successive Pakistani governments, unfortunately, have a history of misrepresenting the financial facts and figures to both the domestic and international organizations. The worst ever and most recent example popped up during Pakistan erstwhile military dictator, General Musharraf regime when his 'Mr. Clean' Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz grossly exaggerated about the GDP as well as production of the wheat crop. When both were out of their respective offices, this 'secret' came to the fore and the Pakistani State credibility both at home and abroad was seriously challenged. Democracy, no matter how weak, has its own merits and demerits for nation and the government respectively. Many observers believe that the PPP-led government coalition is still groping to understand the changed political and intellectual environment which it has to operate in. Now the trouble comes from the free Pakistani media that closely monitors and scrutinizes nearly all issues from the government drive on the Rental Power Plants to awarding dubious contract to a French gas company to import LNG for Pakistan. It was a media person that got the deal quashed that was agreed in the grey quarters of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources. Budget preparation is not paid much attention: Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) conducted a thorough research by using both the open source and various professionals on the issue of Pakistan fiscal planning FY 2009-10 and if the government has succeeded in achieving it targets. The finding is dismal and the Pakistani government apparently seems preparing to play with words and figures to show that 'all is well.' An officer in Pakistan Ministry of Finance, in an interview to the CRSS, noted that: 'we are going to be struck again by the tragedy of lapsed targets.' It is pivotal for any country economy to have exact facts and figures about the state of its...

Pakistani Government's Incompetent Financial Planning FY 2009-10

Pakistani government has a history of misrepresenting the economic facts: Successive Pakistani governments, unfortunately, have a history of misrepresenting the financial facts and figures to both the domestic and international organizations. The worst ever and most recent example popped up during Pakistan erstwhile military dictator, General Musharraf regime when his 'Mr. Clean' Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz grossly exaggerated about the GDP as well as production of the wheat crop. When both were out of their respective offices, this 'secret' came to the fore and the Pakistani State credibility both at home and abroad was seriously challenged. Democracy, no matter how weak, has its own merits and demerits for nation and the government respectively. Many observers believe that the PPP-led government coalition is still groping to understand the changed political and intellectual environment which it has to operate in. Now the trouble comes from the free Pakistani media that closely monitors and scrutinizes nearly all issues from the government drive on the Rental Power Plants to awarding dubious contract to a French gas company to import LNG for Pakistan. It was a media person that got the deal quashed that was agreed in the grey quarters of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources. Budget preparation is not paid much attention: Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) conducted a thorough research by using both the open source and various professionals on the issue of Pakistan fiscal planning FY 2009-10 and if the government has succeeded in achieving it targets. The finding is dismal and the Pakistani government apparently seems preparing to play with words and figures to show that 'all is well.' An officer in Pakistan Ministry of Finance, in an interview to the CRSS, noted that: 'we are going to be struck again by the tragedy of lapsed targets.' It is pivotal for any country economy to have exact facts and figures about the state of its...